.
Some years ago I met a girl whose name I now do not recall.
She was a bridesmaid in a wedding
I was almost
a part of,
almost, but not quite.
Her sister married a friend of mine,
who invited me to come along for the weekend, even though he had enough guys, because he knew I was bored and unemployed.
When the best man got sick and missed the ceremony
another groomsman took over and then I became a fill-in usher,
kind of.
So this girl and I, we had some time to talk in the lobby before the ceremony while the groom and his friends worked out details of who would do what. This was also while the parents and grandparents of the couple argued over propriety.
She had red hair and freckles, I am sure of that. She also had
a wicked laugh and green eyes that suggested a quick wit and a dangerous good time.
She made me promise her a dance that night at the reception,
but I wasn't at the table with the wedding party,
so it didn't
happen.
Lots of drinking did happen though, and most of it was not at the reception. I know I didn't see her later that night (I am sure I would have remembered) or the next day, when we all packed up and went home.
Her friend (the bride), saw me a few months later and
told me that the girl was sorry she didn't get to say goodbye. Say Goodbye Properly, was the phrase she used (an interesting choice of words I thought).
I probably smiled and told her Me, too.
I think about that girl whenever I go to a wedding, but to be honest, it's hard
to look back on a moment we didn't have, or a dance
that never took place.